U.S. patent application number 10/775584 was filed with the patent office on 2005-06-09 for method for wireless network communication in dual mode.
Invention is credited to Nian, Zhi-Heng.
Application Number | 20050122940 10/775584 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34632328 |
Filed Date | 2005-06-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050122940 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nian, Zhi-Heng |
June 9, 2005 |
Method for wireless network communication in dual mode
Abstract
A method of communicating in a wireless network with a wireless
communicating device of a computer is disclosed. According to the
method, a network-setting list is received by the wireless
communicating device from the computer, with the network setting
list having a list of service set identifiers (SSID). The wireless
communicating device then locates a linking request based on an
acceptable SSID that is found in the network setting list.
Thereafter, the linking request is processed in the ad-hoc mode
with a near-end device or in the infrastructure mode with a
remote-end device, depending on whether the acceptable SSID is
found in the network setting list.
Inventors: |
Nian, Zhi-Heng; (San Chong,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Raymond Sun
Suite 155
20 Corporate Park
Irvine
CA
92606
US
|
Family ID: |
34632328 |
Appl. No.: |
10/775584 |
Filed: |
February 9, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
370/338 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y02D 30/70 20200801;
Y02D 70/142 20180101; Y02D 70/144 20180101; H04W 4/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
370/338 |
International
Class: |
H04Q 007/24 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 5, 2003 |
TW |
92134444 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of communicating in a wireless network which includes a
computer, a wireless communicating device and a peripheral device,
comprising: a) providing the wireless communicating device with a
network-setting list that has a list of service set identifiers
(SSID); b) conducting a linking detection so as to locate a linking
request from the computer or the peripheral device, each linking
request having a specific SSID; and c) processing the linking
request in ad-hoc mode if the specific SSID matches one of the
SSIDs in the network-setting list, and processing the linking
request in infrastructure mode if the specific SSID does nor match
one of the SSIDs in the network-setting list.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further including: the
wireless communicating device activates the ad-hoc mode and the
infrastructure mode.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless
communicating device is a wireless network card which complies with
a standard wireless network communication protocol.
4. The method as claimed in claim 2, further including intializing
a firmware in the wireless communicating device to activate the
ad-hoc mode and the infrastructure mode.
5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the linking request
includes a transmitting request or a receiving request.
6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the peripheral device
is selected from the group consisted of computer mouse, trackball,
keyboard, joystick, tablet, touch pad, game controller, scanner and
printer.
7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the computer provides
the wireless communicating device with the network-setting
list.
8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless network
further includes a remote server, and wherein step (b) further
includes: conducting a linking detection so as to locate a linking
request from the server, the computer or the peripheral device,
each linking request having a specific SSID.
9. A method of communicating in a wireless network with a wireless
communicating device of a computer, the method comprising:
receiving a network-setting list from the computer, the network
setting list having a list of service set identifiers (SSID); the
wireless communicating device locating a linking request based on
an acceptable SSID that is found in the network setting list; and
processing the linking request in the ad-hoc mode with a near-end
device or in the infrastructure mode with a remote-end device,
depending on whether the acceptable SSID is found in the network
setting list.
10. The method as claimed in claim 9, further including: the
wireless communicating device activates the ad-hoc mode and the
infrastructure mode.
11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the wireless
communicating device is a wireless network card which complies with
a standard wireless network communication protocol.
12. The method as claimed in claim 10, further including
intializing a firmware in the wireless communicating device to
activate the ac-hoc mode and the infrastructure mode.
13. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the linking request
includes a transmitting request or a receiving request.
14. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the peripheral device
is selected from the group consisted of computer mouse, trackball,
keyboard, joystick, tablet, touch pad, game controller, scanner and
printer.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a method for wireless
network communication, and in particular, to dual mode linking
processes by activating an ad-hoc mode and an infrastructure mode
simultaneously.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] There are two different ways to transmit data or communicate
through a network environment. The first way is a wired
communication with a cable, and the second way is a wireless
communication with an infrared ray, radio frequency or the like.
However, due to the convenience in installation and its mobility in
use, wireless communication is becoming increasingly popular.
[0005] The wireless network can be further classified according to
its range of data transmission. Examples include a wireless wide
area network (WWAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), and a
wireless personal area network (WPAN). The WLAN is a network which
can be transmitted in a range of about hundred meters, and is
usually applied in a single building or in an office. In practical
use, WLAN will adopt an Access Point to combine with a wired
network so as to promote flexibility in use and to enlarge the
transmission range. WLAN protocol is now governed by the Institute
of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), which essentially
introduces several wireless communication protocol standards, such
as 802.11 serial, HIPERLAN, HOMERF and 1394, etc. Ad-hoc mode and
Infrastucture mode are further defined in 802.11 serial. The ad-hoc
mode discloses a peer-to-peer (computer to computer, or computer to
device) wireless communication, and the infrastructure mode
discloses a wireless communication between a wired network and a
wireless network via an Access Point.
[0006] FIG. 1A illustrates communication in an ad-hoc mode. A
wireless communicating device 200 that is coupled to a computer 100
will conduct a wireless data communication with a peripheral device
400 that is located a short distance within a wireless network 10,
using the same service set identifier (SSID) and service network
channel. FIG. 1B illustrates communication in an infrastructure
mode. A wireless communicating device 200 that is coupled to a
computer 100 will conduct a wireless data communication with a
remote-end sever 350 within a wireless network 10 through an Access
Point (AP) 300 of a wired network 20, using the same service set
identifier (SSID). Unfortunately, the ad-hoc mode and the
infrastructure mode cannot coexist in a wireless communicating
device 200 that uses a sole SSID.
[0007] Therefore, there still remains a need for a dual mode
communication which will enable a computer to link different
peripheral devices, or to different computers or servers connected
to a wired network.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0008] It is an object of the present invention to provide a dual
mode communication between a computer and peripheral devices in a
wireless network environment.
[0009] It is another object of the present invention to allow a
computer to simultaneously communicate with a near-end device and a
remote-end device.
[0010] In order to accomplish the objects of the present invention,
the present invention provides a method of communicating in a
wireless network with a wireless communicating device of a
computer. According to the method, a network-setting list is
received by the wireless communicating device from the computer,
with the network setting list having a list of service set
identifiers (SSID). The wireless communicating device then locates
a linking request based on an acceptable SSID that is found in the
network setting list. Thereafter, the linking request is processed
in the ad-hoc mode with a near-end device or in the infrastructure
mode with a remote-end device, depending on whether the acceptable
SSID is found in the network setting list.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1A is a block diagram illustrating communication in an
ad-hoc mode.
[0012] FIG. 1B is a block diagram illustrating communication in an
infrastructure mode.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a communication system
according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 3A-3B is a flow chart of a communication method
according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0015] The following detailed description is of the best presently
contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. This description
is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the
purpose of illustrating general principles of embodiments of the
invention. The scope of the invention is best defined by the
appended claims.
[0016] The present invention relates to dual mode linking processes
by simultaneously activating an ad-hoc mode and an infrastructure
mode for receiving a near-end linking request and a remote-end
linking request, respectively.
[0017] Referring to FIG. 2, a computer 100a is coupled to a
wireless communicating device 200a. If the computer 100a wishes to
communicate with a peripheral device 400a that is located a short
distance within a wireless network 10a (i.e., at a short distance
away), the wireless communicating device 200a can communicate in
the ad-hoc mode. If the computer 100a wishes to communicate with a
server 350a at a remote-end (i.e., at a far-away location), the
wireless communicating device 200a can communicate in the
infrastructure mode via the access point (AP) 300a of a wired
network 20a.
[0018] FIGS. 3A-3B illustrate a flow chart for a communication mode
that can be used by the system in FIG. 2. When the computer 100a is
in the wireless network environment, the wireless communicating
device 200a receives a network-setting list from the computer 100a
(step 500). The network setting list records some acceptable data
relating to the service set identifier (SSID) and the service
network channel. The wireless communicating device 200a then
initializes a firmware within the communicating device 200a to
simultaneously activate the ad-hoc mode and the infrastructure mode
(step 510). The firmware is usually stored in a control unit of the
communicating device 200a according to techniques known in the
art.
[0019] The wireless communicating device 200a then conducts a
linking detection (step 520) so as to locate a linking request
(step 530). In this regard, a linking request is a wireless signal
that is generated by the computer 100a, the server 350a or the
peripheral device 400a when they wish to establish a wireless
connection. This is known as a "linking detection". The linking
request is generated by the computer 100a as a transmitting
request, or is received from the server 350a via the AP 300a or the
peripheral device 400a as a receiving request, and each linking
request also has a specific SSID.
[0020] Returning to FIG. 3A, if a linking detection is not
established, the wireless communicating device 200a will keep
conducting the linking detection (step 520) until a linking
detection is established, at which time processing proceeds to step
A.
[0021] Referring now to FIG. 3B, in step 531, the wireless
communicating device 200a will analyze the linking request to
retrieve an SSID, and search the network-setting list to see if the
SSID from the linking request exists in the network setting list
(step 532). If the SSID from the linking request matches one of the
SSIDs on the network-setting list (step 533), the wireless
communicating device 200a processes the linking request in ad-hoc
mode according to the service network channel of the SSID (step
534). On the other hand, if the SSID of the linking request is not
on the network-setting list, then the wireless communicating device
200a processes the linking request in the infrastructure mode (step
535).
[0022] After either step 534 or 535, the communicating device 200a
will determine if the linking request has already been completed
(step 536). A linking request is completed when the communication
between the communicating device 200a and he peripheral device 400a
has been built in either the ad hoc mode or the infrastructure
mode. If the linking request has been completed, then processing
proceeds to step B to determine if the wireless network linking
should be ended (step 540 in FIG. 3A). This decision is made by the
communicating device 200a. If the linking request has not been
completed, then the method continues to wait until the linking
request has been completed (step 537). If the user does not wish to
end the linking of the wireless network in step 540, then
processing returns to step 520 to conduct the linking detection
again.
[0023] The wireless communicating device 200a can be a wireless
network card which complies with a standard wireless network
communication protocol, such as the 802.11 serial, but is not
limited to that which is enacted by the Institute of Electrical and
Electronic Engineers (IEEE). In addition, the peripheral device
400a can be a computer mouse, trackball, keyboard, joystick,
tablet, touch pad, game controller, scanner, printer, or other
similar device.
[0024] While the description above refers to particular embodiments
of the present invention, it will be understood that many
modifications may be made without departing from the spirit
thereof. The accompanying claims are intended to cover such
modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the
present invention.
* * * * *